London has been battered by 50mph winds that have felled trees and caused travel chaos. Powerful gusts swept across the capital as the Met Office issued a yellow "be aware" weather alert for most of the country.

A former mining village turned rustic retreat, this award-winning holistic
spa with hot springs has a mountain setting heaven-sent for hiking and biking.
This restored ghost town is ideal to spirit friends away to: a few dozen of you
can hog the whole clutch of cabins for special celebrations. The gold-rush
effect on today's discerning spa-seekers comes from romantic bathhouses and
country-chic suites subtly kitted out with every mod con.

Dunton Hot Springs, West Fork Road, off Highway 145 between Telluride and
Cortez (001 970 882 4800; duntonhotsprings.com). Cabins from $550 (£345) based on two
people sharing including meals and drinks, but excluding taxes and service
charges; treatments $185 (£115).

Löyly, Portland, Oregon

You know that burst of steam you get in a sauna when you ladle water onto
the hot rocks? Well, of course the Finnish have a name for that – it's löyly.
This pared-back day spa is a pristine pocket of Scandinavia in foodie Portland.
As egalitarian as its motherland, the measly $20 (£12.50) entry charge is a
great social leveller. Here in the swish cedar sauna or wet steam room you're
as likely to cosy up with high-rolling corporates as low-rent creatives.

To anyone hoping to improve their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing,
the views here are worth prescribing. Coastlines don't deal in looks more
dramatic than this Pacific-kissing swathe of North California. The utter
seclusion and wood-fire-fuelled romance ensure that the Post Ranch Inn's
recycled redwood cabins and cottages perched on the rocky ridges of the Big Sur
are particularly salubrious. Sure, there's the full gamut of rubs, wraps and
exercise classes, but it wouldn't be California if there weren't a few far-out
affairs too, such as fire ceremonies, journeys and consultations with the
ranch's in-house shaman.

Landscapes don't come more dramatic than the canyons and sand dunes near
Utah's border with Arizona. So it's fitting that this outpost of the Aman brand
translates as "peaceful mountain". Set on Navajo land, an Amangiri
"journey" is laced with Native American healing traditions. Local
ingredients and spiritual blessings are carried out to a specially created
soundtrack of chimes and chanting. A session in this indulgent but minimalist
spa can last as long as you like, inside or out, thanks to a sleek
soul-soothing water pavilion and rockside pool.

At last, fans of the apothecary-inspired Kiehl skincare range have a
dedicated day spa to make a pilgrimage to. Bespoke is the buzz-word, and
facials for him or her involve a skin analysis as well as potions and blends
tailored to individual needs. Haircuts, brow, lash and body waxing are all on
the menu, as are anti-ageing treatments such as microdermabrasion.

With its urban sheen and boutique-hotel context, the spa at the Standard
Miami is, of course, a favourite with the fash pack. A classic cedar sauna and
steam room are a given, as is the full scope of beauty treatments and therapies
from acupuncture to hydrotherapy. However, it's the hammam and mud lounge that
provide the most fun. Sign up for do-it-yourself servings for $20 (£12.50), and
then slather the algae-enhanced goodness all over you and yours. Leave the mud
to work its skin-toning magic while you lie back on one of the Biscayne
Bay-view loungers.

In 1979, in the Sonoran Desert, the first Canyon Ranch opened and then
quickly established itself as America's fountain of youth. From Scottsdale to
Phoenix, Arizona's luxury and low-key retreats try and outdo each other with
their quirky, locally sourced ingredients. However, as Helena Christensen and
Demi Moore might attest, Canyon Ranch is the mother of all health retreats.
People holiday here to tackle weight-loss, illness, insomnia and more, while
sun-seekers come for a fix of vitamin D year around.

We've all heard of the bar and kitchen – but a spa and kitchen? This city
slicker has applied the philosophy of its restaurant to the two
Scandinavian-fresh spa rooms. Here the experiences are seasonal, the service is
top-notch and there's an elegant French accent to it all. Expert aestheticians,
Aromatherapy Associates blends, and Deborah Lippmann polish mani/pedis aren't
all that's alluring. The Small Bite and Spa Pairing Facial includes a
complementary chef-prepared meal and tea (60 minutes, $170/£105). As for the
seasonal spin: this autumn, expect the scent of cinnamon, skin-smoothing
bourbon and brown sugar, moisturising shea and caramel on the spa menu.

Simple and natural are the watchwords of this arts and crafts-inspired lodge
and its tiny treehouse spa. As well as using Farmaesthetics organic skincare
products, the treatments are enhanced with herbs from Hidden Pond's 60-acre
grounds. Keeping the nature-inspired theme alive at this enclave of cottages is
the "farm-to-fork" dining room, Earth, one of the three eateries. Spa
dabblers seeking fresh sea air as well as a rustic woodland retreat will be
delighted they're only a mile from sandy Goose Rocks Beach on Maine's southern
shores.

Hotel Bel-Air has been promoting health and wellness for over 65 years in
the most looks-conscious city in the world, and treatments from the upscale
Swiss skincare company are the A-list's go-to for instant beautification.
Hollywood stars aplenty tackle wrinkles with a 150-minute dose of La Prairie's
Caviar Luxury ($475/£298). Doyennes keen to seem more starlet than senior can
challenge the clock further with private sessions from The Lifestyle by Scott
Crawford. Part personal trainer, part life coach and concierge, his programmes
incorporate everything from hiking to acting classes.